I would like to welcome you to Kyosyuji’s website.
Kyosyuji has been in East-Iwase-town, Toyama-city,Japan for 300 years.
The name Kyosyuji means a temple where the joy of encounters gather.
My name is Hougu Kawakami and I am the 18th generation “JUSHOKU”.
JUSHOKU means resident minister of a temple.
I am a monk of Jodo-Shinshu, a denomination of Japanese Buddhism.
There are many different denominations of Buddhism in the world, but Jodo-Shinshu is very unique because it is a teaching that anyone can practice Buddhism in their daily lives.
Although Kyosyuji is a small temple, it has a very long history that has gone through many eras.
Kyosyuji is a unique temple that you won’t find anywhere else. It is unique from its origins.
Its origins begin with the history of survivors escaping sectarian conflicts.
My ancestors lived in this area about 500 years ago, which coincides with the origin of East Iwase-town.
This is a Buddhist painting that has been passed down at this temple for 500 years.
Kyosyujii is a temple that has continued to exist throughout changing social conditions.
Until now, this temple has survived by experimenting with new things in response to the town of Iwase and the changing times.
I think you can see from looking at this facility that Kyosyuji has a unique character that is different from many other temples.
This facility is called “Linkukan” and is intended to be used for multi-purpose cultural activities.
This facility was originally a garage and warehouse that was renovated.
This is a Garage Temple!
Kyosyuji is an independent temple that has self-employed methods, without any institutional backing, and with the support of the people.
So to speak,This is an Indie Temple.
Kyosyuji is characterized by three points, Creativity, Experimentality, and Contemporality.
Temples have the role of preserving traditions, but I believe it is also important to create culture in response to the times.
The Linkukan Gallery is a place for the expression of “shinjin (faith,belief,reliance).”
I would like to express the Buddhist awareness that I have inherited in a cultural way to the future and to the world.
I think you can think of Kyosyuji as one of the frontrunners of contemporary buddhism culture.
The woodcarvings at Kyosyuji were created by Tsutomu Iwasaki.
If you would like to hear the detailed story about Kyosyuji-temple directly from JUSHOKU, please CLICK